320 
further than by observing that the natural 
condition of the species should be imitated, 
as far as possible, except in the free ex- 
posure to air. The Cacti travel best, 
when packed in fine and dry sand. All 
vegetable matters, used as package, are 
very injurious, 
* You ask how the tropical Orchidee 
may be best conveyed :—most certainly in 
the glazed cases: I believe, that, thus se- 
cured, ninety-five out of every hundred 
may be imported in a vigorous state from 
any part of the world, provided the voyage 
does not exceed eight or ten months in 
duration. 
“In all instances, the plants require 
no attention during the voyage; the sole 
care requisite being to keep them in the 
light 
“ You next enquire, what plan I would 
suggest, where glazed boxes are not pro- 
curable, and here Į must give you higher 
authority than my own, that of Messrs. 
ddiges, who find the means adopted by 
your American correspondent, the most 
eligible, viz., that of packing them in mo- 
derately moist Sphagna:—always except- 
ing the succulent plants. 
** Would it not be advisable to direct the 
attention of your collector, particularly, to 
the introduction of such plants as have 
never yet been seen alive in this country, 
owing to the impossibility of importing 
them in the old method! Every species 
of Trichomanes and Hymenophyllum might 
thus become inmates of our stoves, as well 
as a number of other interesting plants, 
which possess oily nuts or seeds, that 
quickly lose their germinating property, 
er they are ripe. These seeds might 
be sown in the mould among the other 
plants, and would come up during the 
M All the Palms, the Bertholle- 
tia, &c., would succeed admirably in this 
_ “JT may remark, that there is one point, 
upon which misconception exists very 
generally, even among well informed men. 
Because my cases are made quite tight, it 
is imagined, that the plants contained in 
them receive no change of air. Now, it 
IMPROVED METHOD OF TRANSPORTING LIVING PLANTS. 
there must, with every change of tempe- a 
rature, be a corresponding change in the 
volume of air contained within the cases. 
Without such a variation, the plants would, 
in all probability, soon perish.” 
N. B. WARD. 
NEW SPECIES OF INDIAN BAL- 
SAMINEÆ. 
By G. A. W. Arnott, Esq. A.M. F.R.S.E. &e. &e, — | 
The following new species of Balsami- 
nec, are nearly all in the herbaria of Dr. — 
Graham and Dr. Hooker, sent from Cey- | 
lon, and collected there by Col and Mrs —— 
Walker. In addition to these, Linneus l 
described, from Hermanns’ herbarium, £. | 
he wild 
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Hydrocera of Blume. 
scribes Z. Leschenaltii, and states that 
Leschenault found it in Ceylon, but the 
specimens given by that Botanist to Dr. 
Wallich, were from the Nielgherries in the 
peninsula of India. M. Macrae appears "s 
have found, also, Z. scapigera, on rocks 
near Kandy. Of these, there are common. 
both to Ceylon and the Peninsula, only five, 
Hydrocera triflora, Impatiens Balsamnt, 
I. grandis, I. scapigera, and I. oppositifo- 
ha; Hydrocera triflora, and I. Balsamna | 
are found, also, elsewhere in India. There : 
are thus, assuming the Peninsular species 
to have been all described by Dr. Wight. : 
and myself, (but I believe, that Dr. W. bas x. 
discovered some’ additional new ones since 
— iai 
Silhet. This is the more re is p 
since almost all those that occur m 
Peninsula have been met with = 
